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AVENGER 93 Loyce Deen 353

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Now firmly on the home stretch to calling this one a done deal, out of the blue came one of those emails that begin with a sentence assuming I'd already have thought of something. These are my favorite because they make me laugh. "How are you going to address that piece in front of the turret?". Naturally my reply was, "Piece? What Piece?". Yup you guessed it, back to the video and "behold an unseen marvel in the bright of day.". More research was done and uncovered drawings of this part and Brian supplied some as well. No idea what it's called but it is there and needed to be replicated. Besides it looks really interesting and is part of the final chapter of Loyce Deen's life. Until someone tells me otherwise I'm calling it the rotational vision stop guide, a bar that aides the gunner as to how much swing remains. The parts were fabricated from spare brass and drilled with tungsten bits. A great help with this was Microscale liquid tape. It holds the parts so measurements can be made and the same later when gluing. After the metal was worked out it's just a matter of stretching some sprue and presto one hand made RVSG. If by some miracle that is the correct function of this thing then I'm gettin' a lotto ticket! I opted to use the plastic part because it really helped with having something for the brass to rest against and is visually more complex.

Next the wheels went on and because I'd flattened them down a bit they needed special attention. Just use something you can raise or lower the height of your kit until the wheels rest on the surface. Make your alignment adjustments and allow the cement to dry for a good six hours or overnight.is better. The navigation light research revealed that there are two Nav. lights on either side so with a bit of clear sprue and a brush of silver made these rarely seen details. Yet another tiny but worthwhile effort was the engine serial number plate which is a decal. Brian tells me that a man in Canada produce this sheet with many sizes and variations that can be used for quite a few models. It's another one of the small additions that add up to a visually intriguing display. Next went on the rocket post, but they are not permanent. Metal pins and liquid tape keep them secure until better ones come available in resin or make and mold my own.

It was down to the final touches beginning with the Nav. light covers, the antenna mast and YAGI system. It's interesting how a Japanese invention would prove so vital to the American efforts before, during and after WWII. Even more than that is how this array impacted the lives of television watchers for decades and into the 2000's.

After the tire tread was given a grey wash another detail was mentioned about the large blue aircraft formation light atop the canopy which needed to be removed since non of these planes flew night missions. Then came the flaps where a spacer was slipped in the moment the CA glue was applied then liberally reinforced at the very back of the joining parts. While the spacers were still in some oils to replicate fluid stains went on the entire belly. Naturally I flipped it over and did more topside. With the prop installed as a pressure fit only I did a little more oil streaking from the cowl flaps. To my surprise there was a huge dent in the plastic but as it turns out the research shows that's supposed to be there! Fine by me, it definitely adds more interest.

The side windows found a home and just as with ninety percent of the kits I build PVA hold them in place should a need arise to move one or the other. Closed or open though, when you build your Accurate Miniatures (or re-branded) Avenger you can count on the glass being clear to see your work inside.

Then various other details such as the dusting the walkways and painting the other blue formation lights were completed before the last big job on the project. The main antenna line that I mentioned earlier was not difficult, I simply took it one connection at a time. Whenever possible I like to drill holes in the plastic and insert hooks or loops. Generally the center of spare PE targeting sights are perfect for this. You can pull the line quicker this way then thread it back into the insulator tube you've already stretched. For this operation EZ-Line fine was used. Here's a tip, just like with an elastic band stretch and stretch again to make it a bit thinner and if you're quick enough it will thread easier. Also, this really helps when you're threading back on itself in the tube. Then pull the tension up again to the final point you need. Sure I make it sound trouble free... it is not, but obviously can be done. In the future I'll be hunting for tubing that is even thinner than what's used here. It looks good yet I'm certain there is a finer solution.